


Infected

by Basicallymonkey101



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chapter 2-3 Rewrite, Double murder, Hospital, class trial, despair disease
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:47:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25620826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basicallymonkey101/pseuds/Basicallymonkey101
Summary: A rewrite of SDR2’s chapter 3, featuring over double the infections.
Comments: 39
Kudos: 133





	1. Daily Life: Part 1-1

**Author's Note:**

> So, premise of this is pretty simply from the summary, but this fic will change some pretty major elements from 2-3, namely the murderer and victims. I might make a follow up with the next chapters, but I’m not sure.

Hajime woke up to the sound of the morning announcement, slowly rising from his bed. The previous trial still had him feeling exhausted, mentally and physically, and he was certain everyone else felt that way too. He stood from his bed, mindlessly going through his usual morning routine. By the time he finished with his tie, he heard a frantic knock on his door. Fearing the worst, he threw open the door, being met by a sleeping Chiaki.

He sighed, and snapped his fingers. Chiaki woke up, and looked at the brunette. She stared for a moment, before remembering why she was here. “Oh, right. There’s something wrong with Akane, and Mikan wanted me to come get everyone. Hajime sighed, and looked at Chiaki. “Where are they?” He asked, throwing his hands up. “Oh, yeah. They’re still in the cafeteria...I think.” Hajime rolled his eyes, and stomped past Chiaki. How could she fall asleep in a situation like this? Is she crazy? What’s wrong with her?!

Hajime threw open the Cafeteria doors, warning a squeak from Mikan. He walked up to her, and the two stood in silence. After a minute Hajime stomped his foot on the ground. “Well? What’s wrong with her?!” He yelled, watching Mikan shrink before his eyes. “I-I-I-I d-d-don’t k-k-know! S-She’s acting strange, a-and she has a f-f-fever!” She pointed to the gymnast, and Hajime felt his jaw drop.

She was lying face first on one of the tables, sobbing. There was a massive pile of wet napkins next to her, and a very, *very* uncomfortable Souda standing next to her. Hajime regained his composure, before snapping back to Mikan. “Aren’t our supposed to be the ultimate nurse? Shouldn’t you know what’s wrong with her?! Huh?!” Mikan began whimpering, and Hajime felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around, seeing Chiaki had returned, along with the rest of his class. Great.

“Mikan. I got everyone.” Chiaki said, giving her a sweet smile. Mikan nodded, sniffled, and stood in front of her class. “Ummm, o-okay everyone. Something is wrong with Akane, and she’s running a f-fever. I-I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with her! You can all yell at me, or throw things at me, o-or-“

“Cram it pig barf! No one wants to listen to your sorry ass right now!” Hiyoko pointed at her, clearly annoyed. “Just tell us what’s wrong with her already!” Mikan fell to her knees, and began crying again. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I don’t know! I’ll find out, p-promise! I-I just need some time!”

“No time necessary, kiddos! Your old pal Monokuma has a diagnosis!” With that, Monokuma flipped into view, landing on an open table. “Why, your dear friend Akane has is a disease spread by microscopic insects: The Despair Disease!”. The room went silent, save for Akane’s wailing. “It’s a highly contagious disease, created to instill the maximum amounts of despair in people!” The class remained silent, until Souda shot away from Akane, screaming. “Contagious?! B-but I’ve been next to Akane almost all day! Hey! Why didn’t you tell me this earlier you stupid bear?!” Souda pointed a finger at the robot, before Akane reached out for him. He, once again, screamed at the touch and ran to the other side of the room.

“So she’s infected? Great! Anyone else dumb enough to catch this stupid disease?! Huh?! Answer me dammit!” Hajime began yelling at his class, only to be met with a laugh. An unnaturally joyous laugh. “Hajime, my good friend, what reason is there to be upset, when we could join each other in the ranks of joy! Be happy!” Gundham announced, skipping out from the group. He stopped next to Akane, and began rubbing her back. “There, there, my fair mortal. Everything will be alright, so long as we stay positive!” Gundham was beaming, and Souda screamed again. “What’s wrong with you people?!” 

Before Hajime could start yelling again, Chiaki cleared her throat. “I’m assuming that this disease is what’s changing their personalities, Monokuma?” Monokuma simply laughed. “Ding, ding, ding! Give the girl a prize! That’s right! The despair disease affects everyone in different ways, specific to their personalities! Like your good pal Hajime, for example!” Hajime snapped his head back to Monokuma, and stomped over to him. “What did you say?! There’s nothing wrong with me! I’m not like those freakshows!”

Hajime raised his fist, but before it could collide with the headmaster, Nekomaru ran towards the brunette, tackling him to the ground. “You know what happens when you attack Monokuma, Hajime! I can’t see you wasting your potential or the life it holds all because of some stupid disease! Mikan! Where should we take the infected?” At her name, Mikan perked up, and looked to Nekomaru. “The third island has a hospital on it, b-but I don’t know how many rooms it has!” Nekomaru stood up, Hajime in his grasp. “Then let’s get to it! Someone get Akane! Gundham! You coming or what?!”

Gundham stood up, grabbed Akane’s hand, and walked behind Nekomaru. “All is clear to me! A simple game of follow the leader! Child’s play, and very enjoyable child’s play at that! Come now, oh saddened one, for I shall make our day!” With that, the infected, Nekomaru, and Mikan marched out of the cafeteria, leaving their classmates astounded. After a moment of silence, Hiyoko had been the first to speak. “What the hell was that?! They better not get me sick! I had to walk next to that Hamster freak the whole time!” Souda went from silently whimpering, to full on screaming. Sonia walked over to him, and slapped him across the cheek. “Kazuichi. Please, pull yourself together. We all need to be able to work as a unit in this situation. Do you understand?” In seconds, the once horrified mechanic was back to normal, smiling at the princess. “Whatever you say, Miss Sonia!” Chiaki sighed, and stepped forward. 

“Alright, everyone. Earlier today, Mikan told me a list of symptoms for the infected. If you have the disease, you will have a high fever, glossy eyes, and other symptoms not unlike the common cold. If you have any of these symptoms, speak now.” The room stayed silent for a moment, and Chiaki went to move on. However, Nagito cleared his throat. “Uhm. I think Ibuki’s trying to say something. She keeps moving her mouth like she’s talking.”. Chiaki moved closer to Ibuki, before asking a question: “Do you think you’re sick?” Ibuki vigorously shook her head yes, and looked at her currently feeling friends. “Alright then. Ibuki, try and catch up to the group that left to join them at the hospital.” Ibuki gave a thumbs up, and ran out the door.

“Now, who came into direct contact with the infected?” Chiaki asked, and Souda raised his hand. “I touched Akane, but I only rubbed her back!” Fuyuhiko cocked an eyebrow, questioning what he meant. “What was I supposed to do?! She was super sad alright? Can we just move on already?” Nagito chuckled, and looked around the room. “I don’t think anyone else touched them. Only Souda touched Akane.” Chiaki sighed, and turned to the pink haired man. “Souda. I need you to go to the hospital.” He sputtered, and pulled his beanie down. “What?! Why me?! I’m not infected! I swear!” Chiaki shook her head, continuing. “You touched Akane, putting you in close proximity of a highly contagious disease. You could get everyone else sick if we aren’t careful.”

Souda looked around the room, before sighing. “Yeah. Fine. I’ll go. But, when I looked around the third island, I saw a motel pretty close to the hospital. If we want to play things safe, I can set up a phone between the two buildings.” Sonia beamed, and looked at the mechanic. “That is most thoughtful of you, Souda! It would be a great help if you were to do that. Then, the five of us can remain at the motel, in case of an emergency!” Souda grinned at the praise, and began walking to the door. Before he could leave, Fuyuhiko stuck out an arm. “Hold on. Make sure you, Nekomaru and Mikan stay at the hospital. We can’t have you running between the motel and that place, and risk us getting sick.”

Sonia smiled, and turned back to Souda. “Oh, yes! The three of you could also care for the ill at the same time! How thoughtful, Kuzuryu!” The yakuza blushed, and faced away from her. “Yeah, yeah. I didn’t say that, but whatever. Just get going Souda.” He nodded, and ran off after the remainder of the hospital group.

Chiaki turned to her remaining four classmates, and began her next speech. “Now, as for the five of us, we are not going to enter the hospital at all costs. It doesn’t matter if you want to visit someone. We have to stay safe to keep them safe, okay?” Sonia nodded, and Nagito smiled. “Of course! I wouldn’t want to get sick and ruin the atmosphere of the hospital...so much hope I saw in Mikan’s eyes. The rays of hope shining from Nekomaru...I think I might pass out.” Hiyoko gagged, and Fuyuhiko gave a curt nod. Chiaki smiled at the group, and began walking towards the door. “Good. Now, we need to stay at the motel. Try to leave as little as possible, alright guys?”

With that, the five set off for the motel, (hopefully) ready for anything.


	2. Daily Life: Part 1-2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infected begin their “treatment”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started off hesitant about this, but I’m really enjoying this.

Mikan huffed as she opened the hospital doors. Keeping up with Nekomaru was way harder than she thought, and she thought it looked bad to start with. She stumbled in after him, and leaned over the reception desk. “A-Alright. There’s three patient rooms, and three guest rooms. As long as no one e-else gets infected, w-we should be fine!” Nekomaru looked at the room names, while Hajime yelled at him from his position in the burly man’s arms. Gundham slipped after them, Akane in tow, and Mikan sighed. ‘This was going to be fine, Mikan. As long as no one...why’s Ibuki here?’ Oh no.

Mikan ran up to the usually boisterous girl, only to be met with absolute silence. “I-Ibuki? What’s wrong? D-d-did something happen?” Mikan heard the doors swing open, and a very exhausted Souda limped into the room. “Okay. Here’s the thing, Mikan. Ibuki got the disease, but she can’t speak. I don’t have the disease, but I touched Akane earlier. I also need to set up a phone between here and the motel, so I need to go. Nice talking with ya.”

Before Mikan could get a word in, Souda already began jogging out of the room, most likely on course to the hotel. Mikan looked back at Ibuki, and sighed once more. “O-Okay. I-I can sleep at the reception desk. Ibuki, y-you take my room.” At that, Ibuki nodded, and walked off to find a room. Mikan followed, and marked the door with a sticky note: Patient Room: Ibuki Mioda.

Mikan rounded the corner, and walked toward the patient rooms. She had seen the patients renter earlier, and she marked each room accordingly. Akane on the left, Hajime in the middle, and Gundham on the right. She saw Nekomaru sitting in the hallway, looking mentally exhausted. “Hauling around a hollering Hajime is a lot more work than I thought.” He said, before standing back up to face the nurse. “So, what now?” Mikan put a finger on her chin, before running down her mental checklist. “W-well, we need to check the food supply here. If we can manage until Souda gets the phone hooked up, we’ll have zero contact deliveries. I’ll also be making a schedule for myself, so then I can have organized times with each patient.”

Nekomaru held up a finger, before turning around. “I’ll go find the food. I’ll make a list of everything we have, alright?” Mikan nodded at the assessment, and Nekomaru roared to life. “LET’S RUMBLE BABY!” He shouted, warning three different responses from each room. A sob from Akane, a yell from Hajime, and a laugh from Gundham. At least the diseases they seemed to have were simple. Sadness, Rage, and Joy were easy emotions to predict, and Ibuki’s quiet Disease would only be a problem if someone were to...

No time to think about that, Mikan. You have work to do. And a lot of it at that. Mikan walked over to the first door, knocked, and waited for a response. “Enter!” The voice said, seemingly overjoyed at the prospect of a visitor. She slowly opened the door, and stepped in, seeing Gundham messing with the trinkets on the desk. His hamsters were running throughout the makeshift obstacle course, each one looking ecstatic (or, so she thought). “Hello, meek curer of plague! Have you business with the Overlord of Ice?” He spun in his chair to face her, and Mikan has to resist her urge to coo. He looked absolutely adorable when he was filled with child like wonder, even with the scar. “A-actually Gundham, I-I do need to do some things. I’d like you to answer a few questions, o-okay?” The boy nodded, and look at her expectantly.

“O-Okay. First question. Did you touch anyone today?” Gundham places a hand on his chin, and snapped his fingers “I attempted to breach the barriers between myself and the saddened one, but it was only her I touched.” Mikan nodded, and began writing notes on her clipboard. “A-Alright. N-Next question. Do you need anything from your cottage?” Gundham nodded , and pointed to the equally energetic Devas. “That is correct! The devas require their habitat, lest they feel bored without it! Their Storybooks would also be nice a fine addition! I quite enjoy the fables!” Mikan nodded, and moved on to her final question. “Gundham. Y-you are aware you c-can’t leave the hospital, no matter how m-much you miss your friends, right?” He frowned, but immediately brightened back up. “That’s acceptable! I shall simply befriend those here with me in this medical dungeon!” 

Mikan smiled one more time, before walking back out into the hallway. On the other side of the door, Ibuki silently stood, and pointed at the clipboard. Mikan has to hold back a startled scream (Nekomaru would freak), and tried to piece together what Ibuki meant. “Y-You...want a clipboard?” Ibuki nodded, and pulled out a pen. It clicked, and Mikan quickly nodded. “O-oh! Y-yes! Wonderful idea Ibuki!” She hurried back to the reception desk, and pulled out a second clipboard and a large stack of paper. “I-I think that a-should do. C-come get me if you run out, o-okay?” Ibuki have a thumbs up, and ran back to her room. Mikan looked back to her clipboard, and continued with her original plan. She walked to Akane’s door, lightly knocked, and entered when she heard the sobbing quiet a bit.

“H-Hello Akane! H-how are you feeling?” Mikan asked, already prepared for her answer. Akane just continued sobbing, and Mikan sat down next to her on the bed. “I-I know. S-sometimes you just have t-to cry, you know? Akane hiccuped, and have a weak nod. Mikan placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, and gave her a sweet smile. “I-It’s okay. I-I just have a few questions for you, a-alright?” Akane nodded, tears still streaming down her face. “First question. Did you touch anyone but Souda and Gundham oh your way here?” Akane shook her head, and Mikan continued. “O-okay. Next: Is there anything you need from your cottage?” Akane slowly shook her head no, and Mikan stood up. “Alright. I-I need to tell you one thing. You do understand you c-can’t leave the hospital right?” Akane gave a quick nod, tears welling up in her eyes. “O-oh! R-right! If you need anything, call for me, Souda, or Nekomaru, okay?” Akane burst into tears at Nekomaru’s name, but Mikan decided to leave it. She silently exited the room, marking the girl’s answers on her paper.

She walked in front of Hajime’s door, and reached for the doorknob. However, his reactions to the implication something was wrong with him caused a violent outburst, so she scribbled the questions down on a note, and slid it under the man’s door. She hurried back to the reception desk, and placed down the clipboard. The leaned against the desk for a moment, before Souda butts through the doors. “Great news, Mikan! The phone works! Probably.” He turned on the monitor in the room, and sighed as an image of the motel was shown. The mechanic turned back to her, and looked at the papers in front of her. “So...what now?” Before Mikan could answer, however, Nekomaru walked towards the duo. “Alright! We definitely have enough food to last for today, but it’s all non perishable things we can’t cook, so while it’ll suck for our health, it’s all we have.”

Mikan gave a sigh of her own at the news. Nutritional value was important for a healthy recovery, but a good diet will start tomorrow. “Alright. What can we give the patients to eat?” Nekemaru pulled out a list, and began running down the contents. “We have six twelve pack boxes of granola bars, flavors being strawberry and blackberry, three things of canned peaches, a box of saltine crackers, two packages of beef jerky, and a bag of barbecue potato chips.” Milan grabbed his list, and began scribbling down the best orders for each patient. “Gundham won’t eat the jerky, but Akane needs a package. Hajime might think the peaches are too sweet, and the crackers might be too rough on Ibuki’s throat. Souda? Check the kitchen for anything, and tell me about any dishes that might be in there. Nekomaru, go to each room, read off our options, and ask for preferences. Even Hajime.” The two men gave a salute, and ran off to do their work.

Dinner would be hard tonight, with such a wide variety and nothing to stock up on. If Hajime won’t eat the jerky, Ibuki would, and everyone needs at least one granola bar, but what kind? If only Teruteru were here...not now. “Uh, Mikan? The kitchen only had six plastic cups and two bottles of...beer. I found some dinner trays! But there’s only three.” Mikan nodded, and looked back to him. “Fill four cups with tap water. I-it’s all we have.” As Kazuichi left, Nekomaru returned, holding a new list in his hands. Mikan hurriedly read through it, pooling together the orders. Kazuichi came back with the cups, before running back to grab the trays. “Nekomaru, I need you to help me deliver the trays once everything is put together, okay? We can trust Ibuki and Gundham to eat on their own, but we have to make sure Hajime and Akane eat. You visit Akane. I-it’ll put her in a better mood.” Kazuichi returned, and the three piled the makeshift dinners onto the trays. Nekomaru lifted two trays up, and Kazuichi assembled Ibuki’s prewrapped assortments. Mikan picked up Hajime’s tray, and began walking towards his room.

Once she reached the door once more, she balanced the tray on her knee, knocked once, and opened the door. Inside, Hajime was scowling at a wall, back facing her. “H-hello, H-Hajime...I-I-I have y-your dinner!” The nurse waited for a response, but Hajime’s silent sulking was the only reaction she received. “A-alright. I-I’ll leave this here. G-goodbye Hajime. A-and t-try to answer the q-q-questions soon, okay?” Again, silence met her. She quickly fled the room, afraid of an outburst. She saw Nekomaru leaving Gundham’s room, a resounding “Thank the Gods!” coming from the (hopefully) temporarily childish boy’s room. She watched Nekomaru throw open Akane’s door, and slam it back shut on his way in. Souda rounded the corner, and the two teenagers looked at each other, a slow realization creeping to the forefront of their minds:

This would be hellish.

Meanwhile, Sonia lead her group to the motel, the four teens trailing behind her silently hoping for the best. Once the fateful building had been reached, Chiaki stared at the monitor in front of her, and watched on as Souda and Mikan sat silently with one another. Fuyuhiko and Hiyoko shared a worried glance, before going back to angrily scowling in separate directions. Sonia went to open the front doors to the motel, before a small paper caught her attention: a list of items to bring to hospital. She read through the list, taking note of proper food and ingredients, boxes of tissues, a few stress balls, any musical instrument, children’s toys, and Gundham’s hamster cage. Sonia sounds around to her group, and all four stared back at her. “Okay everyone. Our friends have provided us with a list of supplies they are in need of. Who would like to retrieve them?”

A crushing silence came over the group, before Hiyoko scoffed. “No way! I don’t even want to associate with those diseased weirdos, and I don’t wanna get their dumb stuff anyways.” Fuyuhiko cleared his throat, walked up tot Sonia, and grabbed the list. After skimming through, he silently turned and began walking away from the motel, list in hand. Mission success? No time to fret. “Alright. We shall each enter our rooms, and we shall all stay put. Understood. Hiyoko rolled her eyes, and Chiaki nodded. Nagito began mumbling about hope, Sonia moved on. “Good. Once Fuyuhiko returns, he shall also grab a key, and select a room. The five of us shall be the only ones to stay at this motel, for our other friends must reside in the hospital. Though this may be another troubling time for us, we must use this time to stay strong and stay happy! So long as none of us exit the premises of the Motel, we shall all remain safe. Any questions?” The usual silence of the group returned, and Sonia sighed. “Fine then. Grab your keys and settle in.

———

Hours later, and Fuyuhiko was grumbling in front of the hospital. He just carted a whole daycare’s worth of shit here, and there isn’t even a thank you? Whatever. Guess it wouldn’t be safe to have contact with the hospital folk anyways. He walked into the motel, grabbed a room key, and went to the marked room. Inside, he found exactly what he’d expected: a completely average, three star motel room was before him, complete with tacky carpet and abstract paintings. He closed his door, tossed his keys onto the desk, and collapsed. He still felt weak after the...incident. He moved a hand over his eyepatch, feeling the phantom pains where his eye once was, and the emotional pains of losing her. He shook his head, and climbed into his bed. He felt so tired as of late, but that was the surgery. He wasn’t weak. He couldn’t be.

That would let her down.

He sat on the edge of his bed, wishing he felt the familiar weight next to him, until the nighttime announcement came. Once he heard it, he stood up, locked his door, and went back to his bed. Even though he laid down and closed his eye, he knew sleep wouldn’t come to him. It hasn’t for days. Maybe he’d get lucky, catch a disease that makes him uncontrollably tired, like Chiaki. But, then he’d be in the looney house with everyone else, so maybe not. He shuddered at the thought of what his classmates would be doing. Akane crying her eyes out, Ibuki making as much noise as possible with the miniature xylophone he picked up, Gundham excitedly building his hamster cage while scribbling in crayon, and Hajime acting like...well, him.

Fuyuhiko’s mind raced, thoughts darting between the ill, the pain, and Peko. He watched the stars change, and he watched the sun rise. He knew he hadn’t slept, but he didn’t care. All he could do was wait for the morning announcement, and wait for everything to fall apart once more.


	3. Daily Life: Part 2-1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Despair Disease continues to Spread.

Sonia awoke to the chime of the morning announcement, slowly rising from the motel mattress. While it was nice to have a bed, she wouldn’t exactly call it comfortable. Yes, three star indeed. But, now was not the time to complain. She prepared herself for the day, and stepped out of her room. She looked around for anyone who might be awake, seeing nothing but the still monitor. She mentally sighed, and walked towards the lobby. Once inside, she was lucky enough to have found Fuyuhiko and Chiaki, both looking incredibly exhausted. She waved to them, receiving a grunt from Kazuichi, and a soft snore from Chiaki. She moved over towards the duo, and sat down on the couch next to Chiaki. She looked across the table to Fuyuhiko, who absentmindedly stared forward. She decided to break the tension of the room in order to help calm everyone down.

“I do hope everyone is doing alright. I would hate to see the ill are sleeping on the same mattresses as us!” Fuyuhiko grumbled, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You kiddin’ me? Feels like my shoulder was sleeping on stone all night!” The princess giggled at his response. It was nice to see he was making an effort at connecting with people now. She heard Chiaki mumble something, but she seemed to simply be talking in her sleep. Fuyuhiko stood up, and turned for the kitchen. “You want anything to eat?” he asked, and Sonia hummed. “I believe a simple piece of toast is in order. Thank you Fuyuhiko.” The shorter man blushed, and walked into the kitchen.

Sonia laughed, and turned to Chiaki. The shorter girl was slowly rising from her slumber, looking around the room for...something. “That’s strange.” She muttered, closing her eyes. “I thought there was an eggplant wizard around here somewhere.” Before the gamer could drift back to sleep, the front door was thrown open. Nagito stepped into the room, with Hiyoko thrashing around in his arms. “Hey guys! I'm in a bit of a pickle here. Can I get some help?” The man said, Hiyoko clawing at his sleeves. “Oh goodness! What is the matter?” Sonia said, rushing towards the two. Hiyoko grunted, and started kicking at Nagito’s legs. “This clown won’t let me go get some gummies!” She reached up, and began pulling at his hair. “She was trying to go past the Motel Parking Lot. I hate to halt an ultimate’s plans, but that disease is named after the one thing that stifles hope, soooo...” 

Hiyoko gave another grunt, before shouting at Nagito again. “It’s not my fault I bumped into that shark toothed freak!” The room went quiet, and Hiyoko clamped her hand over her mouth. Nagito slowly put her on the ground, and Fuyuhiko cane walking out of the kitchen. “Hey, thing one and thing two are here. What? What’s with the fucking staring?” Fuyuhiko placed Sonia’s plate on the table, and sat down in his seat. Chiaki cleared her throat, and looked at Hiyoko. “By shark toothed freak, you mean Souda, right?” Hiyoko shook her head, and started backing away from the group. “No! No, wait, I didn’t! I swear! I didn’t touch him!” Nagito looked down at his shirt and sighed. “Do I have to go change, or...”

Fuyuhiko looked between the group, before reaching his conclusion. “Wait. Don’t tell me. You broke the one and only rule we actually set?!” Fuyuhiko shot ip from his seat, storming towards Hiyoko. She squealed, and scampered further away from the yakuza. “I-I didn’t mean to! It’s not my fault! It’s his! Don’t hurt me!” Fuyuhiko stomped towards her, but an arm held him back. “Fuyuhiko. If you touch her, you could also get infected.” Chiaki said, before looking at petrified girl. “Hiyoko. You need to go to the monitor, get someone’s attention, and they will come pick you up. Nagito, we need to wait and see if you get infected. In the meantime, go to your room and stay there. Got it?”

Nagito shrugged, and walked out of the lobby. Hiyoko began trembling, standing put. “N-No! I don’t wanna! Not with those weirdos! Please! I-I’ll do anything!” Sonia gave a remorseful sigh, before looking at Hiyoko. “For the safety of everyone, we need you to go to the hospital.” Hiyoko shook her head no, and backed into a corner. Fuyuhiko groaned, and pointed his hand towards her. “Come on, she’s already sweating up a storm! We’re running out of time!” Hiyoko gasped, and shot her hand onto her forehead. She pulled it back at the heat, and took note of the sweat covering her hand. “I-I...I d-don’t...WAAAAAAAAAH!!” The short girl went running out of the motel, and the remaining three ultimates watched through the window as she hugged the monitor.

Chiaki sighed, and looked at the other two in the room. “Until we get confirmation from either Nagito or Hiyoko, we’ll stay right here. Cool?” Fuyuhiko scoffed, but sat down next to his coffee. Sonia smiled, and sat down across from him. “Yes! We shall remain in the lobby, and it will be hella rad!” Chiaki grinned, and sat next to the princess. Now’s as good a time as any for some hope shards.

———

Souda groaned as he walked to the reception desk. He had been dealing with the patients all day, and Mikan left him in charge while she got a few hours of sleep (turns out, Gundham had too much energy to stay asleep, and Akane woke up sobbing every few hours, so she pulled an all nighter). He ran into Hiyoko earlier (quite literally. She was looking in through the front door, and he wasn’t paying attention), and he was hoping for the best. If she gets infected, he gives up. Death seems more welcoming than this place.

Nekomaru walked up behind him, the breakfast trays in his arms. “Woah, look at that! Hiyoko’s hugging the monitor like it’s her soulmate!” He roared, and Souda felt his heart drop. He walked over to the monitor, and clicked a button. “Hiyoko! Can you hear me?” He saw the girl jump back, before wiping her face and sitting forward. She nodded, and he sighed. It worked. That’s great. “All right. Press the red button!” She blinked, before leaning forward and tapping a button. “Great! I should be able to hear you now!” Hiyoko hiccuped, and went back to sobbing. Souda immediately understood the situation, and pulled at his beanie. “Ah, crap. I’m coming to get you. Don’t move.” He switched off the microphone, and turned to Nekomaru. “Don’t let anyone burn the place down. I think Hiyoko’s infected.”

He walked out of the hospital to a loud groan from the coach. It’s only fair he knows. Better than surprising him. He just hopes she’ll be decent to Mikan throughout all of this. He grumbled to himself as he walked into the parking lot. He heard what sounds like...hiccups? No, wait, that doesn’t sound right. It almost sounded like...laughter. Oh. Oh no.

He ran towards Hiyoko, who looked up at him and grinned. She held her arms up, and began dancing around him. “Hooray! A new Friend! How are you?” She hopped between both feet, and Souda sighed. A happy disease. Go figure that the both the meanest and darkest people on the island got happiness diseases. He cleared his throat, and the small girl looked at him. “O-Kay. Well. I kinda need you to...follow...me.” His words trailed off as the girl started skipping towards the hospital. This was so freaky man.

He chased after the girl, and stopped her before she opened the door. “Alright, hey, listen! I need to explain a few things, okay? First, you don’t have a room yet, so find someone else to bother once we get in there. Next: after you walk through this door, you can’t come out. Got it?” She nodded, and reached for the knob. Souda pulled it open, and she ran into the room. She heard her cheer, and he felt his jaw drop.

Gundham has been waiting by the entrance, and Souda watched as he kneeled down to Hiyoko’s level, picked her up, and spun her around. Hiyoko: insulting, crude, and mean Hiyoko, being spun around like a toddler by Gundham freaking Tanaka. He heard their laughter, and his skin crawled. This was getting freaky man. Sure, the others had diseases that made them act strange, but this was surreal!

Gundham lightly placed Hiyoko back on her feet, and let out another laugh. “Rejoice! You seem so happy, oh smiling one!” Hiyoko giggled, and pulled him into a hug. “Of course I’m happy! I made a new friend!” Gundham beamed, and looked Souda in the eyes. “Caretaker! Could I perhaps spend the day with my newfound ally?” The mechanic stood still for a moment, weighing his options. If he left Hiyoko with Gundham, then he was free to get his work done, and they would both be out of his hair. “Yeah, fine, just keep it in your room, Gundham.” The two teenagers began giggling, and Gundham lifted Hiyoko onto his shoulders. The duo ran down the hall and out of sight, leaving Souda alone.

He sighed, and began walking for his room. Hiyoko needed one to herself, and he didn’t want to ask Nekomaru for his room, so this was the only option. He opened the door, and began cleaning up what few trinkets and tools he had on his person when he first entered the hospital. He was running out of scraps, so he’ll ask if Fuyuhiko can make another supply run. He exited the room, stuffing his creations into his pockets, before returning to the front desk.

Once he reached the entrance, he saw Mikan slumped over the counter, mumbling to herself. She looked awful, like she hadn’t slept at all. He cleared his throat, and the nurse slowly turned her head towards him. “Hey, Mikan, I have a bit of bad news.” He fidgeted with his beanie, and the nurse stared at him. “Hiyoko caught the disease earlier today. Luckily, it’s a happy one, so she might be out of our hair!” He put a hand behind his head, and an awkward silence fell over the two. Mikan stared at him, before scooping up a pile of papers and shuffling out of the room. He stared at where she once was, lost in thought. She had to have slept some, right? No way she could be that tired!

A gruff voice broke him from his thoughts, grabbing his attention. “That was...weird.” Nekomaru said, leaning against the wall. “I know, right? She looked exhausted! Maybe we should handle today.” Souda said, sitting down in the receptionist chair. “I mean, we check in on the patients, make sure they’re all alive, feed them, and listen to any requests they might have. It can’t be too hard.” The pink haired boy leaned over the desk, reading over a few papers in front of him. They were illegible, save for a list of symptoms. Strange. No patient suffered from extreme exhaustion. Hell, it’s like half of them couldn’t even sleep! The only person around here who’s that tired is...

Souda shot back from his seat, chair flying to the floor behind him. Nekomaru launched forward, looking around frantically for a sign. “What? What happened?!” He roared, voice booming through the hospital. “M-M-Mikan! I-I think she’s I-infected!” Souda stuttered, pointing to the list. Nekomaru pulled the paper closer, read through it, and threw it back onto the table. “No way! What are we gonna do?!” The coach yelled, hands flying to his forehead. “Quick! Check your temperature! You aren’t infected, right?” Souda presses his hand against his head, and sighed with relief. “All clear on my end. You?” Nekomaru nodded, and the duo stared at each other. They didn’t move until the sound of a door opening caught their attention.

Ibuki pokes her head out of her room, putting a finger to her mouth. The two looked at her, and then to each other. “Uh. I guess we were a little loud, huh?” Nekomaru chuckled, and Ibuki nodded in response. The two sighed, before another door came flying open. All three ultimates looked down the hall, seeing a fuming Hajime storming towards them. “Do you dumbasses know how loud you are?! The second I get to sleep, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb decide to start screaming like a bunch of pigs at the slaughter house!” He yelled, everyone going quiet but him. “Aren’t you dipshits supposed to be taking care of us?! How is yelling helping us?! Shut up, and do your damn jobs!”

By this point, two more doors had opened, and the entire hospital was staring at the raging Hajime. He spun around, and looked to the rest of his friends. “What?! What are you all looking at?!” Akane hiccuped, and began to sob. Mikan looked at the usually calm man, eyes empty and tired. Hiyoko and Gundham began giggling, before the dancer spoke. “We’re looking at you silly!” Gundham skipper out of his room, and pulled Hajime into a hug. “There, there, angered beast of simplicity! Let us enjoy our times together with joy and festivities! Be Happy!” Hiyoko skipper after him, joining the hug and repeating the Breeder’s demands of joy. “Will you two creeps get off of me?! Christ! Fuck this!” He pushed the two off of him, and stomped back to his room. The two bubbly teens laughed it off, and rushed back into Gundham’s room.

Ibuki looked back at where everyone was standing, shuddered, and walked back to her room. Souda looked at Nekomaru, and the two sighed. This was going to suck.

———

Chiaki knocked on Nagito’s door, testing to see if the Luckster was awake. She heard him walk to the door, and stand on the other side. “Who is it?” He said, waiting patiently for an answer. Chiaki breathed in, preparing for anything. “It’s Chiaki. How are you feeling?” Nagito chuckled, and she heard him cough halfway through. Not a good sign. “Well, I’m certainly feeling sick, but not strange in anyway. Same old garbage Nagito here.” 

Chiaki felt baffled. “So, let me get this straight; you aren’t feeling strange, just sick?” She heard him hum from the other side, before he sniffed and continued. “Seems as if I’ve caught a cold. Should pass in a day or two. Can I come out now?” He asked, and Chiaki went silent. Sure, she could tell him to stay in the room until...whenever the disease is over with, or she could let him back out. If it was just a cold, then it’s probably fine. She pulled the knob and opened the door, revealing what she assumed would be on the other side. A slightly disgruntled Nagito stood on inside the room, a pile of used tissues by his bedside. “Oh, great! I would feel so worthless being cooped up in such a hopeless environment for so long, you know? Enough to drive someone crazy...”

She glared at the white haired boy, before he cleared his throat. “Well, you should probably tell the others. I mean, they wouldn’t want to hear a diagnosis from such worthless trash as me, right?” He hugged himself, and Chiaki could see beads of sweat on his brow. “As much as I would like everyone to be together, Nagito, I need you to stay alone for a while longer. I need to be positive you aren’t infected, okay?” The boy sighed, before turning back to his bed. “Well, If the Ultimate Gamer’s telling me to get some rest, who am I to say no?” Before Nagito could continue his hope ramblings, Chiaki closed the door and walked away. Nagito could be so tiring at times.

The sleepy girl walked back into the lobby, seating herself on one of the sofas. Fuyuhiko have her a small wave, and Sonia walked over to her. “So, How is he?” She asked, and Chiaki sighed. “Seems like Nagito just has a cold...I think.” Fuyuhiko chuckled to himself, and turned around to the two girls. “That seems just like him. Unlucky enough to catch the common cold in the midst of an outbreak.” The three shared a small laugh, before a crushing silence fell over them. Chiaki sighed, before lying down. “I think I’ll take a small nap. You guys have any plans?”

Fuyuhiko shook his head, and Sonia gave a sad smile. “Well, I thought I could call up Souda or Mikan and ask how the patients are doing. I hope things aren’t going to horrible.” Chiaki nodded, before closing her eyes. The fading voices of Fuyuhiko and Sonia carried her off to sleep, and away from the madness of her current world. She could only hope for the best. 


	4. Daily Life: Part 2-2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Mikan infected, the stakes hat the hospital are higher than ever!

Souda groaned as he sat down at the reception desk. Today had been absolutely awful so far. Not only did he lose his room and have to sleep at this stupid desk now, but Mikan was infected too. How were he and Nekomaru supposed to take care of six people on their own? He wasn’t the nurse! He wasn’t even a nurse!

He looked down at the list in his hand, trying to figure out the order he needed to place. It makes sense that almost everyone’s meal would be complicated, he was dealing with the weirdest people on the planet. Hajime’s order was nonexistent, all Souda got from him was a bruised ego and a headache. Mikan mumbled a few things to him, the only coherent words being “Water” and “Sorry”.

Akane was the only person to give him a straight answer, asking for a hamburger and fries from the diner. Sure, Nekomaru might get on her case for how unhealthy they are, but the coach seemed pretty lenient with the athlete due to the circumstances. Speaking of Nekomaru, he said he’d make his own meal out of the supplies at the hospital.

Ibuki’s order was on it’s own sheet, including miso soup, microwaved popcorn, and pop rocks? Souda shook his head, fearful of what she was going to try. But the last two orders were their own nightmares. Hiyoko requested 12 packages of gummies, with no lemon gummies at all. That was it. Gundham’s request was even worse, asking for sunflower seeds, a vegetarian microwaveable rice mix, and 24 fruit punch juice boxes.

Souda walked over to the monitor, turned on the audio, and waited for Fuyuhiko to come out. It was 3:00, and Fuyuhiko was supposed to be taking the orders. After a few minutes of Souda impatiently tapping his foot, the short man emerged from the motel and made his way to the monitor.

“Alright, what do you nutjobs need now?” The yakuza asked, a pen and paper ready. Souda looked down at the papers, repeating each order, watching Fuyuhiko get progressively more and more annoyed. Once he finished, Fuyuhiko groaned, throwing his pen back towards the building. “Seriously? How the hell do I even figure out what packages have what flavors!” Souda shrugged, watching the yakuza go storming off.

He clicked off the audio and ran through his schedule. Mikan should be doing a check up with Akane right now, and Hajime was next on her list. Mikan refused to have a check up, insisting she wasn’t sick, and Nekomaru was taking care of Ibuki, so that left him with...oh come on. Of all the people, why did god pick him to be his punching bag?

Making his way towards Gundham’s door, he realized how quiet those two had been for a while. Ever since they hugged Hajime, he hadn’t heard a sound from them. In fact, the dinner orders he got from them were written on a note in front of Gundham’s door. That every-so familiar feeling settled in his stomach, and he ran over to the door. Hajime didn’t actually...no, he couldn’t have!

Throwing open the door, Souda’s eyes frantically searched for ether one of the diseased super freaks. His heart stopped when he saw Gundham hunched over by the wall, but it restarted once he saw a storybook in his hands. The eccentric teen turned his head to the mechanic, before Souda remembered the second reason he was here. “Where’s Hiyoko?” 

At the question, Gundham gave a wide grin, and something moved from inside his coat. After a few seconds, Hiyoko’s head popped out from the breeder’s jacket, the two teens becoming elated with laughter. Souda’s knees went weak, and he leaned on the doorframe. He never thought he’d be happy to see these two in his life, but here he was.

Gundham looked back to Souda, before stifling his giggles. “Now now, dear friend! Our laughter would be ever more joyous if you were to laugh with us!” Hiyoko leaned further out of the overlord’s coat, a bright smile on her face. “Yeah! You’re our friend, and laughing with friends is the best!” The duo of joy returned to their song of laughter, and Souda began to remember why he didn’t tend to miss these two.

The pink haired man went to leave the room, only for a small hand to grab him by the arm. He rolled his eyes, remembering the disinfecting process Mikan has taught he and Nekomaru. He looked down at Hiyoko, spotting tears in her eyes. “Y-You...are my friend, right?” Souda internally groaned. Of course I’m not your friend! How could anyone sane be friends with you?! “Yeah, I’m your friend.” He replied, trying to shake her arm. The small girl smiled, before pulling her captive towards Gundham. “Great! Then you can join me for stories!”

Souda sighed, looking at the childish girl. “Look, I have things I need to do. Mikan needs a checkup, and Fuyuhiko’ll be here any minute to deliver your dinners.” Gundham chuckled, before picking up one of the books he had next to him. “Fret not, comrade! It shall be a short tale, quick enough to blink and miss!” Hiyoko looked at the mechanic expectantly, and he sighed once more. He did need a break, now that he thought about it. “Fine. But I mean it when I say it needs to be short!”

The partners in crime beamed, as Hiyoko slid back into Gundham’s jacket. He opened up the book, and gave a small click of his tongue. His hamsters ran out from his scarf, taking their respective place on his shoulders, except for Cham-P, who perched himself on Hiyoko’s head. Souda sat beside the two teens, oddly relaxed despite being near his two least favorite people on the planet. A small break never hurt anyone.

———

Fuyuhiko stood outside the hospital, shopping cart beside him. He had been standing here for twenty minutes now, and neither Souda or Nekomaru had shown up now! Sure, Mikan tried coming out, but she stopped before she could open the door. Poor girl looked half way to death’s doorstep.

The yakuza glared through the glass door, hoping to see someone show up. If he wasn’t back soon, Sonia and Chiaki would start to worry. Hell, the monitor wasn’t even on! He lifted his first to slam down on the door, only to remember that someone was bound to freak out from it. So, standing in silence it was. An ugly, horrific silence.

The sound of a door opening caught his attention, and the short man spun around to see Nekomaru standing in the frame. “Finally! Where the hell is Souda! He was supposed to pick this up half an hour ago!” The yakuza shouted, as Nekomaru sighed. “Haven’t seen the guy since he took the orders, but I think I heard him in Gundham’s room.”

”Whatever. Just take the cart and deliver the food. And, do me a favor; make sure Souda picks this stuff up on time tomorrow, okay?” Fuyuhiko grumbled, walking back to the motel. He heard Nekomaru shout after him, but he ignored it. All he had to do was get back to the lobby, do that stupid disinfecting process Sonia came up with, and he was home free for the night. Well, metaphorically. Hard to believe he’d start missing that shitty old cottage.

The short man threw open the door to the motel’s lobby, before walking into the bathroom turned sanitation room. Peeling off the gloves Sonia forced him to wear, he washed his hands twice over, before dropping the gloves in the trash. He took back a shot of mouthwash, and mentally prepared to isolate himself for an hour.

Exiting the bathroom, Fuyuhiko noticed that Chiaki had returned from...wherever she was, and she looked a bit dazed. Not a good sign. Before he could ask what was wrong, Chiaki spoke up. “Sonia and I are pretty sure Nagito’s infected. He says it’s just a cold, and his personality hasn’t changed at all, but something isn’t right.”

The gangster sighed, keeping his distance. “Well, what do we do? Ship him into the hospital?” He asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “We don’t have a choice. If he stays here, we run the risk of him getting the rest of us sick. Who knows what would happen then?” The gamer shook her head, clearly upset. Sure, Nagito was a complete Psychopath, but he was still her friend, somehow. Having to send him and Hiyoko our to the hospital in the same day couldn’t be easy.

”Alright. Is Sonia making the call? Or is nutjob doing it himself?” Fuyuhiko asked, earning a small sigh from Chiaki. “Sonia’s calling. Souda’s bound to answer if she’s on screen.” The mobster gave a soft hum, before walking towards the door. “Nagito’s coming out willingly, right?” Chiaki nodded, following Fuyuhiko with her eyes. “He mumbled something about hope and despair through the door, so I’m sure he’s coming out...I think.”

Fuyuhiko looked out one of the windows, seeing Sonia pacing in front of the monitor, with Nagito standing a few feet away from her. Souda would be here any minute, and Mr. Hope Junkie would be out of his hair. Granted, he’d be in a hospital filled with lunatics, but Nagito’ll fit right in.

Everyone waited in silence, anticipating the inevitable arrival of the mechanic. However, when the mechanic didn’t show, worry began spreading through the group. Sonia’s pacing sped up, and Fuyuhiko started tapping his foot. First he doesn’t show up to pick up the delivery, and now this? What’s up with him?

The attention of all four people snapped to the fast footfall approaching them. Everyone went to sigh a breath of relief, only for it to catch in their throats. Souda wasn’t the one racing towards them; it was Nekomaru.

Fuyuhiko felt pissed. Really pissed. First the pickup, and now this? Where the hell was he!? Even after Nekomau stopped next to Nagito, Souda was nowhere to be found. That was it.

The short man burst out of the motel and stomped towards Nekomaru, only stopping once her realized it wasn’t the best idea to touch one of the nurses. “Where the hell is Souda?!” He yelled, throwing his arms up in frustration. Nekomaru looked down at the furious man, before scratching the back of his neck. “Uh. Was he supposed to come here? You guys didn’t ask for him.”

Fuyuhiko practically felt the vine popping out of his forehead. “No! I mean, yes! Just- where is he?!” He raised his fist at the coach, only for the larger man to grit his teeth. “I already told you-Souda’s been in Gundham’s room this whole time.”

Before either man could boil over, Sonia cleared her throat. “Everyone, please! I have a few questions of my own.” Nekomaru turned to face her, while Fuyuhiko kept glaring at the direction of the hospital. Sonia sighed, and continued. “I must ask; is Souda okay?” Nekomaru bit his lip, his face going grim. “Souda’s...Souda’s infected. I’m not sure what he has, but something isn’t right. I went to check up on him when delivering the dinners, but when I got to Gundham’s room, he was dripping sweat, his face was red, and kept trying to touch Hiyoko. I dropped off the food and got out of there as soon as I could.”

Everyone went quiet, slowly taking in the new information. “So, what your saying is, you’re the only nurse who isn’t sick, right Nekomaru?” Sonia remarked, her voice near silent. The large man nodded his head, and silence recaptured the group. However, a sudden chuckle grabbed everyone’s attention, as Nagito began to hold himself.

”How could Monokuma do such a thing?! This disease...everything it stands for...it’s unbelievable!” Pulling at his hair, the not-so-lucky boy’s eyes had begun glossing over, and his peers took a step back from him. “I can’t let it spread. Nekomaru! Get me to the hospital!” He pointed to the coach, and he complied without another word. Throwing the frail man over his shoulder, Nekomaru sprinted back to the hospital at near record speed, leaving behind his stunned classmates.

Fuyuhiko scowled to himself, before spitting on the ground where Nagito once stood. This was bad. He was planning something. He always is. The short man heard Sonia mutter to herself, before walking towards her motel room. Chiaki hadn’t left the lobby yet, only watching the chaos from afar. Smart girl, that one.

Shaking his head, Fuyuhiko turned to his motel room. He felt exhausted after everything that happened today, not including his lack of sleep from last night. No matter how shitty it was, a mattress sounded wonderful right now. But first, he had to go do that stupid disinfecting process again. Creepy bastard.

———

After explaining the rules to Nagito and clearing out his room for the sickly man, Nekomaru couldn’t help but feel stressed. Mikan was working herself far past what was healthy, Souda was sick with something, and he still had to deal with every other patient in this place.

Walking through the halls, Nekomaru held a clipboard in his hand, looking over his schedule. Since Souda probably missed his checkups, they were behind on their work, so he needed to pick up the slack. A team can’t work if someone’s unaccounted for.

Cracking open the door to Akane’s room, Nekomaru was greeted with the loud sobbing he had become so accustomed to from the girl. Giving a soft smile, he sat next to the gymnast, comforting her as he checked her vitals. Still normal, and her fever’s gotten better, but she’s just as sad as before. Giving a loud sigh, Nekomaru stood up and cracked his knuckles, before patting Akane on the head.

”Alright Pal, what’s the issue now?” He asked, pulling the girl a bit closer to him. Latching onto his leg, Akane sobbed into the man’s pants, only giving small hiccups and messes of words as an answer. After a few more minutes of consoling, Akane had calmed down enough to talk. “I-I-It w-was M-M-Mikan...s-she looked s-s-so tired.” The girl said, before trailing off and resuming her sobbing session.

Nekomaru ruffled his friend’s hair, before looking at the door. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Mikan soon, okay? She’ll get better. You’ll get better.” Akane nodded, and Nekomaru stood up. “Now, I have to go, alright? The others need checkups, but I’ll be back soon, okay?” Another nod from the gymnast (and a few more tears), and Nekomaru walked out of her room.

Closing the door behind him, the massive man moved down the hall and towards Gundham’s room. With three people inside one place, he wouldn’t take nearly as long having to hunt them down to do the test. He knocked on the door, earning a cheery “Come In!” From Hiyoko. Opening the door, the coach found that the lights had been turned off, and the room was illuminated by a single flashlight (Souda’s, probably.).

”Greetings, Herculean Warrior! What brings you to the realm of Gundham Tanaka?” The eccentric man’s face was lit up by the flashlight beneath him, before the light was pulled away from him. “Yeah! Are you here to play a game with us?” Hiyoko asked, a bright smile on her face. Nekomaru smiled back at them, deciding to play along for now. “Sure! I’ll play a game on one condition: I need to check a few things first.”

The teenagers nodded, before Nekomaru flicked on the lights. Gundham shielded his eyes from the sudden change in brightness, whereas Hiyoko just giggled. As Nekomaru walked over to Gundham, the Breeder suddenly smiled. Hiyoko pulled on a rope made from Gundham’s bedsheets, opening up the once blocked closet door. Gundham threw open the door and hid behind it, and Hiyoko scuttled under the bed. Nekomaru raised an brow in confusion, before his silent question was answered.

Souda burst out from the closet, a stupid grin on his face as he put his hands on Nekomaru’s shoulders. “Nekomaruuuuu.” The mechanic said, placing a hand on the back of the coach’s head. “Guess whaaaaaaaaaat?” Dumbfounded, Nekomaru stayed quiet as the pink haired man inched closer and closer to him. “You’re...really...handsome...”

Souda leaned his head closer to Nekomaru’s, before the team manager snapped out of his state of shock and pushed Souda off of him. Guess he found out the disease. Gundham and Hiyoko peeked out from their hiding spots, before slipping back in once Souda recovered from the shove. “Oh, so you’re into rough stuff, huh?” The mechanic blushed, still smiling to himself.

Nekomaru shook his head, before walking towards Souda. He wasn’t in any state to take care of patients now. Throwing the man over his shoulders, Nekomaru threw open the door and looked back at the two patients inside. “I’ll come back to check you two later. This guy’s more important right now.” The two nodded, and Nekoamru closed the door. He could feel Souda breathing heavily on his back, and it made his skin crawl.

”Ooh, you really like the heavy stuff. That’s all cool. Or, well, hot.” Souda began rambling to himself, drawing circles on Nekomaru’s back with his finger. The coach kept silent until he reached the storage closet, where he pulled out one of the folding chairs from inside. Setting up the chair, Nekomaru sat the infatuated man down, before pulling the chain off of his shoulders. All while tying up the mechanic, Nekomaru was treated with a series of moans and flirts that left Nekomaru more and more sick every time.

Once he finished tying the chain, Nekomaru looked down at Souda, before cracking his knuckles once more. “Listen up, Souda. You’re gonna stay right here in this chair until you can get over...whatever that was. Got it?” The mechanic nodded, giving a weak “Yes, Coach.” Content with the answer, the large man walked down the hallway, back on his track to Gundham’s Room.

As Nekomaru reached the door, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the hospital. His heart dropped, and the coach ran towards the source of the sound; Hajime’s room. After nearly throwing the door off it’s hinges, Nekomaru saw Hajime fuming over Mikan, the latter crumpled onto the floor and crying, and the former with a metal tray in his hands.

Leaping into action, Nekomaru jumped over Mikan and in front of Hajime, grabbing the tray from his hands and tossing it across the room. He reached for his chain, only to realize it was still wrapped around Souda in the hallway. Perfect. Hajime gritted his teeth, before drawing his fist back. Nekomaru could tell what he was doing; it was an incredibly obvious punch. As it came at the manager, he grabbed Hajime’s hand, and twisted it behind his back. From there, he wrapped his arms around the smaller man, restraining him for the time.

Looking back at his surroundings, Nekomaru saw that Ibuki was crouched over Mikan, comforting the exhausted woman in silence, while Nagito stood silently in the doorway. Worst of all, Akane had heard the scream, and Nekomaru could hear her sobbing from the next room over. With Hajime thrashing in his arms, Nekomaru needed to restrain him fast, before he broke free.

Looking at the hospital bed, he realized that today was his lucky break; in the side of the bed was leather straps, easily enough to restrain Hajime for the time being. Tossing the smaller man onto the bed, Hajime began to freak out, throwing insults and a barrage of easily predicted lunches coming after the coax while he worked on tying the man down.

Once Hajime was fully restrained, the man could barely move his neck to look around the room. Mission success, I guess. Turning back to the other people in the room, Nekomaru saw Mikan walking out from the room, using Ibuki as support to keep her from falling. Nagito silently retreated to his room, and Akane’s sobs were just as loud as before. 

Nekomaru sighed, before seeing a bottle of pills on the floor by the bed. He bent over to pick it up, only to see that it had been a bottle of sedatives. This must be what caused the freak out then. Turning to the talentless man, Nekomaru held up the bottle and opened it up. “So, you slammed Mikan with a tray because she gave you a prescription?”

Hajime growled, before shouting back to Nekomaru. “Shut up! I don’t need any of that stupid medicine! I’m fine!” The coach reached down to Hajime’s nose, pinching it shut with two fingers. “Yeah, yeah. Listen up. Either open your mouth and take the pill, or pass out from oxygen loss.” Nekomaru grabbed two pills from the bottle, waiting for Hajime’s resolve to falter. Eventually, his patience rewarded him, as Hajime opened his mouth to gasp for breath. Stuffing the pills into his mouth, Nekomaru clamped his jaw shut alongside his nose. “Now. Swallow the pill, and I let you go.”

Reluctantly, Hajime swallowed the pills in his mouth, the effect nearly impediment. Nekomaru watched man pass out, and he sighed. He hated to do this to Hajime, but he didn’t really have a choice. He barely has a choice with anything. Taking Hajime’s fitals, Nekomaru decried that he had enough of this work for one day. Leaving Hajime alone in the room, Nekomaru opened the door next door, ready to unwind for a few hours.


	5. Daily Life: Part 3-1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The state of the hospital is getting worse by the second, and all Mikan can do is try her best to keep things in order

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive apology for such a long wait! I’ve gotten pretty wrapped up in my schoolwork, and writing slipped my mind and focus for a bit. I should be a bit more on track now, but I can’t make many promises for my schedule.

Mikan rose from the receptionist’s desk with a heavy sigh. She had no idea what time it was anymore. All she knew was that it was pitch black outside, and everyone was still awake. Souda had gotten out of his restraints, and had practically attached himself to Ibuki. Of course, the musician wasn’t helping, as she kept instigating the infatuated man to entertain her. Hiyoko and Gundham were causing as many problems as they usually did, sneaking into Hajime and Akane’s rooms to pester them about joyous occasions and making friends. In return, Hajime would snap at anyone who entered his room, trying his best to undo his own restraints. On the bright side, the two trouble makers could occasionally succeed at cheering Akane up, but it didn’t tend to last very long. Meanwhile, her and Nekomaru were running around, trying their best to make sure everyone was still okay. As for Nagito....

...Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen him in a while. That can’t be good.

Mikan sped up as much as she could, but her fatigue from overworking herself was catching up. She could barely walk, and running was impossible in her current state. Nonetheless, she stumbled down the hallway to Nagito’s room, hoping for the best. Slowly opening the door, she saw the white haired boy sitting on the side of his bed, head in his hands. He looked up at the slowly opening door, only to give the nurse a freakish smile. “Oh, Mikan, good to see you! If you’re wondering, Nekomaru already checked my vitals about twenty minutes ago, so you really don’t need to waste your precious time on trash like me.”

Mikan could barely shake her head, before turning to the door. The less time she spent around Nagito, the safer she felt. She reached for the knob, before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her stomach dropped, and she slowly turned around. The Lucky Student loomed over her, that horrid grin still plastered on his face. “Y’know Mikan...I’ve been thinking...this is the Despair Disease, right?” Nagito’s smile grew thinner, and Mikan weakly nodded. Nagito’s face dropped, and his grin twisted into a scowl. “Just as I thought...well, then I have to ask; what’s the cure?”

Mikan tried to speak, but her voice failed her. Fear and exhaustion had cut out her voice, so she was left to nothing but trembling in fear. Nagito stood before her, his grip tightening, until a familiarly horrifying voice split the tension in the air. “Puhuhuhuhu! Long time, no see!” The lucky student grimaced, before turning to face the beast behind him. “Monokuma. Awful to see you as always.” Monokuma winced, sweat pouring down his face. “Awful? Oh, how rude of you! Here I am to answer a simple question, and now I’m the bad guy?!”

Nagito rolled his eyes, and released his death grip on Mikan. “So, there is a cure after all?” The demonic bear grinned, and pointed a claw at the boy before him. “Righty-o, pal! I was going to mention this two days ago, but you guys rushed me out of the room like a deadbeat dad at his 5th child’s birth!” The white haired boy’s expression shifted into a full scowl, before gesturing for the bear to continue. “Just like the previous motives, the despair disease won’t go away unless a murder occurs! Of course, it-”

“What happens if everyone gets the disease?”  
Monokuma stood silent, with Nagito’s glare boring a hole through his skull. The machine hummed in thought, before turning away from the troublemaker. “Well, let’s just say it won’t end well if everyone gets infected. After all, it is a despair disease.” His one red eye glared at the duo, before he hopped out of sight. Nagito sighed, before kneeling down to Mikan’s level. “Well, with that out of the way, my questions have been....mostly answered. You can get back to work now. After all, trash doesn’t really need a check up, does it?” The nurse nodded as frantically as she could, before stumbling out of the room. Leaving Nagito alone and unattended wasn’t usually the best idea, but that didn’t matter right now. She just wanted to get away from him.

As Mikan hurried down the halls, she heard a pair of footsteps come running up behind her. Mentally sighing, she turned around to see Gundham and Hiyoko standing not-so-patiently behind her, each one with a huge grin on their face. The two were giggling between each other, and Mikan gave them a soft smile. They were usually so cold to everyone, but they’ve warmed up to so many people, even if it was from the disease. Hiyoko grinned, and put on her most innocent face possible. “So, Mikan! Gunny and I wanna have a playdate! We’ll do anything for it! Pretty please!” Mikan went to nod her head, before Gundham cut in. “Indeed! We’d be willing to lend our hands in assisting our allies, all for this occasion!” The nurse blinked, before weighing her options. She shouldn’t exploit her patients like this, but the opportunity of lightening her workload was certainly tempting… 

“And you can join us too! It’s more fun with more people!”

Mikan looked between the two, seeing no hints of malice or sarcasm in their mannerisms. They….wanted her to join them? “Precisely! Everyone deserves to be joyous, no matter how hard they must work! Respites are mandatory for a healthy mindset, and our congregation would provide such cover, given we are allowed to host.” Gundham gave her a crooked smile, and Mikan mirrored it with her own glowing grin. She focused her strength on speaking, and tried her best. “O-Okay. You two can have the p-playdate, but I have a few...chores, first.” The two upbeat teens looked between each other, before breaking into their usual celebrations. “N-now, I need you both to g-go check up on Akane...she’s still in her room, s-so if you two could go cheer her up-”

Before Mikan could finish her sentence, the dynamic duo was running down the hall, throwing open the door to Akane’s room, her wails becoming apparent to everyone in the hospital. Mikan sighed, realizing she couldn’t actually tell them what they needed to get done. She just hoped they could calm her down enough for either her or Nekomaru to actually check her condition and get her to swallow the medication without choking on her sobs. Shuffling down the hall, Mikan eyed Hajime’s room, before deciding against entering. Even if he was restrained, she wasn’t brave enough to go in and sedate him. If she hears screaming, she’ll just ask Nekomaru to deal with it. 

Opening the next door she came across, she walked in on a fairly normal sight. Ibuki was scribbling away on one of her papers, clefts and bars lining the sheet. Her lips were pursed into a fine line, and her brow was furrowed. “H-Hey Ibuki...how are you doing?” The musician looked up, and waved Mikan over to her. The nurse complied, and took a seat next to the mute girl. “W-What are you working on?” Ibuki’s eyes lit up, and she began frantically scribbling on a new sheet, before spinning the clipboard around to show her company. Mikan read over the note, before looking back up to Ibuki with a smile. “I-I think a performance would be w-wonderful too! B-But you s-should probably wait until after everyone is cured, so we can all enjoy it!”

Ibuki put her pencil on her temple, before slowly nodding. She gave Mikan a quick thumbs up and looked back to her paper. The nurse gave a soft laugh, deciding that the vital checks could wait for a while. Everyone was either having too good of a time for Mikan to stop them, or they scared her away. Standing up from Ibuki’s bed, she looked back to the doorway, seeing a figure blocking the exit. Souda was in the doorframe, his jumpsuit partially unzipped and his beanie missing entirely. He gave a toothy grin, before striking what she believed was supposed to be an attractive pose.

“Hey Mikan! Can I get one of those checkups too? I wouldn’t mind having such thorough and soft hands rubbing me up and down...not at all…” Souda took a step closer, before Ibuki’s clipboard came flying at his head. “Ow! Hey! What the hell was that for you...shockingly attractive moron…” With his mind on yet another person, Mikan sighed before grabbing the back of Souda’s collar. “I-I’m sorry Souda, but y-you need to get out.”

The mechanic sneered, before that same stupid grin came back onto his face. “Whatever you say, Miss Mikan! Can I get anything for you, while I’m out? A drink, maybe?” The nurse shook her head, before pointing down the hallway. “M-Maybe just...go back to bed for a while.” Souda grinned, before running down the hall and around the corner. Out of sight, out of mind. Mikan turned around to Ibuki, before giving a small sigh. “J-Just...if he comes back, throw things at him until someone else comes, o-okay?” Ibuki gave a thumbs up, and Mikan went to leave (again).

Stepping into the hallway, Mikan was relieved to see that it was finally empty. Now that she was alone, she could send a call to everyone at the motel. She was probably worrying them so much by not calling earlier, and they’ll probably think she looks more awful than usual, but this needed to be done. The three of them deserved to know what was happening in the hospital as much as she or Nekomaru did. Stepping up to the monitor, she followed what few instructions Souda was able to leave before he got infected, and booted up the monitor. Pressing the call button, she assumed the machine at the motel was emitting some kind of noise to alert the others. In the distance, Mikan could see Sonia running up to the monitor, a bright smile on her face.

Sonia pressed a button on the other side, and soon enough, sound was coming from the other end. “Ah, hello Mikan! It is very great to see you!” the princess said, her eyes gleaming. Mikan felt herself smile, and she gave a small wave. “H-Hi Sonia...i-it’s nice to see you too…” the two stayed in an awkward silence for a few minutes, before Sonia broke the tension. “Well, how is everyone faring on your end?” Mikan groaned, deciding to get it over with now. “Uh...N-Nekomaru’s still doing good, a-and I’m just a bit...tired.” The foreigner pursed her lips, and tilted her head. “And, as for Souda?”

Mikan spun her head around, hoping the mechanic wasn’t in earshot, before continuing. “Souda’s infected t-too...and it’s a very problematic disease. H-He’s been treating everyone here like he treats you…” Sonia cringed, before recollecting herself. “I see...had he tried anything...physical?” The meek girl shook her head, and Sonia gave a sigh of relief. “I-I gave everyone a warning o-once I figured out what his disease entailed...well, G-Gundham and Hiyoko were the ones who t-told me…”

Sonia tilted her head a bit, giving a small hum. “I must ask: why were Hiyoko and Gundham together?” The nurse gave a soft sigh, before a smile crept onto her face. “I-It sounds silly, but because of their diseases, they’ve been stuck t-to one another since Hiyoko arrived!” Sonia cracked a smile of her own, and the two girls burst into a laughing fit. “Oh, my goodness! What a sight it would be to see the two of them!” The princess clasped her hands together, a cheery smile on her face. Mikan grinned, mirroring the other girl’s movements. “M-Maybe I can set up another meeting later today? T-Then you could see them…”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, Mikan! I would be delighted to see them!” the upbeat girl pumped her fists, and Mikan flipped through her schedule. “O-okay...how about 3 o’clock?” Sonia nodded, before looking back to the motel. “Oh! I do apologise Mikan, but I must go. Fuyuhiko is becoming quite impatient with our conversation!” The nurse flinched, looking back up at the monitor. “A-Ah! I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to keep you guys waiting for so long!”

Sonia gave a small chuckle, her expression soft. “It is quite alright, Mikan. You haven’t done anything wrong at all.” The princess muted the monitor, and walked away with a bow. Mikan could feel her heart racing, joy coursing through her body. She...hadn’t done anything wrong? Oh, how kind of Sonia to say such a thing! Mikan’s mind continued racing, until a loud sob broke her train of thought. This couldn’t be good.

Moving as quickly as she could down the hall, she quietly slipped into Akane’s room so as to not freak the girl out any more than she already was. Taking note of the situation, she saw Hiyoko and Gundham wrapped around Akane, blissfully ignorant of the fact that the girl didn’t want to be touched. The gymnast would trash around in their grasp, only for them to hold on even tighter. Mikan cleared her throat, and all three heads spun to her. “G-Gundham, Hiyoko, please get off of her.” The two looked at each other, before pulling their arms off of Akane. “We were just trying to help her, Mikan…” Hiyoko mumbled, with Gundham looking away from the nurse.

“I-I know you guys were just doing what I asked, b-but you can’t just...just go get Nekomaru for me, okay?” Mikan gave the two a soft smile, and Hiyoko began to trudge off. Gundham followed behind her, before scooping up the dancer and running into the hall. “We haven’t a reason to be negative! Be happy!” The duo ran off, and Mikan slowly approached Akane. “Hey A-Akane...what happened?”  
The brunette wiped her eyes, before rubbing at her arms. “I...W-We were...they j-just wanted to help....b-but…” she went back to her incoherent sobbing, and Mikan felt nothing but exhaustion and sympathy. “H-hey, hey, Akane...i-it’ll be okay…just l-let it all out…” Akane kept sobbing, with Mikan sitting comfortably beside her. As the sobs turned to whimpers, Akane finally collected herself. “R-right, yeah...they were trying to cheer me u-up, but one of Gundham’s h-hamsters...the bitey one...it b-bit my finger when I tried to pet it...s-so Hiyoko tried to m-make it better by kissing the b-bite, but I-I didn’t want to be touched, but they k-kept trying, and, a-and-” Mikan held up a finger, and Akane stopped herself. “T-Thank you, Akane. I just needed to know what upset you. Do you think you can disinfect the wound yourself?” The gymnast nodded, and Mikan gave her another reassuring smile. “Good. T-There’s rubbing alcohol in one of the storage cabinets. When Nekomaru gets here, maybe he could-”

A guttural scream emanated throughout the hospital, and Akane quickly went back to sobbing. Mikan groaned, and slowly rose from her sitting position. Shuffling towards the door, she gave a quick glance back to Akane, deeming the scream more important. Moving as quickly as she could through the hallways, she followed the choir of yelling and screaming, before opening the door to Hajime’s room. As soon as the door creaked open, Hajime gave an audible groan. “Oh, great! Now I’ve got another dumbass to deal with!”

Mikan took stock of the room, seeing Gundham standing over the talentless man, making sure his restraints were properly tightened, all while preaching about his usual joy. Meanwhile, Hiyoko was standing on the opposite side of Hajime’s bed, looking at the hunched over form of Nekomaru in the corner. Everytime the dancer tried stepping closer, Nekomaru would let out another scream, to which Hajime would yell at him, to which Gundham would yell at Hajime, which would cause Nekomaru to scream, keeping the vicious cycle going. Mikan sighed, and kept her focus on Nekomaru. Judging by the sweat pouring down his forehead, strange behaviors, and occasional pants, it was safe to assume he had gotten infected with a disease, most likely a paranoia one.

The nurse felt something brush past her arm, and a soft hum came from beside her. “Oh, this won’t do at all. How are the ultimates supposed to keep our hopes up if they’re acting like this?” Nagito mused, standing next to Gundham as he sneered down at Hajime. “What the hell are you raving about now, you lunatic?!” Hajime screamed, trying to reach out for the luckster, only for his restraints to pull him back. “Now, now, my dearest allies. How are we supposed to rejoice over our friendship with such menial arguments taking place?” Gundham declared, getting Hiyoko’s attention. The short girl ran up to the congregation of guys, before jumping onto Hajime’s bed. “Yeah! We all need to be super good friends with each other, otherwise we’re all gonna be sad!”

As the four continued their antics, Mikan tried to slowly approach Nekomaru. However, another inconvenience had come her way, as she heard sobbing coming from the doorway. Spinning her head back, the nurse saw that Akane and Ibuki were in the doorway, watching the chaos unfold. However, a third uninvited guest was with them, as Souda was trying his best to woo over the gymnast. Nekomaru looked to the noise, before noticing how close Mikan had gotten and screaming yet again, scrambling further into the corner. Ibuki put her hands between Akane and Souda, only to get the mechanic’s attention focused onto her instead. “Well, Ibuki, if you insist on putting your hands on me, who am I to judge?” The musician shuddered, before the cacophony of noise had finally become too much for Mikan. The screaming of Nekomaru and Hajime, the ramblings of Nagito, Gundham, and Hiyoko, the sobbing of Akane, and Souda’s incessant flirting had finally overwhelmed her. Clenching her fists, Mikan stomped onto the ground as hard as she could, only succeeding in grabbing Gundham’s attention. He saw her repeat the gesture, and slammed his own boot onto the floor. 

The noise resounded throughout the room, grabbing the attention of everyone there, and he pointed over to Mikan. Giving a small huff, Mikan nodded at Gundham. “Thank you. N-Now, listen up everyone! Everyone is going to go back to their rooms individually, unless told otherwise. Hajime, e-either take a sedative or calm yourself down. Souda, g-get a grip! Ibuki...you haven’t done anything wrong. Gundham, Hiyoko, you two are officially relieved of your d-duties.” Mikan began commanding everyone in the hospital, surprising the group with her authority. “Nekomaru, I c-can’t have you caring for any patients now that you’re infected, s-so you’ll need a room to stay in. B-but, we might have to improvise since there aren’t any extras…”

Gundham hummed, before stepping forward. “Fret not, healer of plagues! The man beast Nekomaru shall conquer my realm, so long as I can share with my closest ally.” Gesturing to Hiyoko, the dancer cooed, pleased with her new title. Mikan mentally groaned, already aware of how many problems the two would cause, but she didn’t have another choice. “F-Fine. I’ll clean out your stuff while you’re playing with Hiyoko.” The two teens gasped, before a wide smile came onto Hiyoko’s face. “So, we are having the playdate?” Mikan nodded, and the dynamic duo went tearing out of the room, nearly shoving Ibuki to the floor in their hurry.

The room went quiet, as Hajime slipped a sedative into his mouth, rolling over, and ignoring everyone in his room. Akane’s sobs slowly trailed off as Ibuki walked the brunette back to her room, and Souda silently followed behind the musician. Nekomaru took off as soon as the doorway was cleared, and Nagito went to follow after him. Mikan tapped his shoulder as he walked past, and the lucky student turned to her. “What is it, Mikan?” He asked, before Mikan’s face twisted into a scowl. “I-I’ll be keeping my eye on you.”

Nagito shrugged, and walked out of the room. Taking a quick peek over to Hajime revealed he was unconscious, and Mikan let out a sigh of relief. She never felt so commanding in her life! Is this what Sonia felt like when running her country? Although, it is a bit unfair to compare a hospital to something as large scale as Novoselic...whatever. Mikan ran back down her list of duties, before deciding to go prepare for her next round of checkups. As much as she liked nursing, she had to admit, this was getting exhausting. All she could hope for was that this would all end soon...

Little did she know how soon that end would come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> suspenseful music plays in the background


End file.
